The Buffs' leadership council might have to meet in the training room this week.

Two of the seniors Colorado's young players are looking at for guidance this season -- linebacker Doug Rippy and safety Ray Polk -- have already sustained fresh leg injuries.

Rippy hobbled off the field with a knee injury in the second quarter of CU's deflating 30-28 loss to Sacramento State on Saturday and did not return. Polk suffered a sprained ankle in the Rocky Mountain Showdown loss to Colorado State that kept him out of the home opener.

That leaves a defense that started four freshmen and gave up 466 yards to the Hornets of the FCS quite thin in the leadership department.

Junior defensive end Chidera Uzo-Diribe and senior linebacker Jon Major emerged from a dejected locker room to answer questions about another head-scratching loss that most fans had penciled in as an easy win.

"The kind of things that we do in practice against our offense, no disrespect to the Sacramento State offense, but they are nowhere near our offense," Uzo-Diribe said. "For them to go out there and do what they did to us today is embarrassing."

Sacramento State quarterback Garrett Safron threw for more than 300 yards, but the Buffs' inability to stop the run was the difference in the game. CU gave up 154 net yards rushing on 35 attempts (4.4 yards per).

Major, a player who prefers actions to words, is still holding out hope for a dramatic turnaround.

Advertisement

"We've got to win our next three," Major said. "There will be no one in that locker room who won't come to work hard and fully expect to win from here."

Rippy's knee injury will be re-evaluated today. Polk is questionable for next Saturday's game at Fresno State.

In full Bloom

Jeremy Bloom knows what it feels like to make an early impact on this program.

The first time Bloom touched the football for the Buffs -- on Aug. 31, 2002 -- the speedy skiing star from Loveland returned a punt 75 yards for a touchdown against CSU.

The Buffs lost to the Rams that day but finished 7-1 in the Big 12 to win the North Division.

A decade later, Bloom -- who played for two seasons at CU and competed in two Olympics -- is preaching patience with Jon Embree's young Buffs.

"I believe in the long-term vision of Eric Bieniemy and Jon Embree and Brian Cabral and all these guys," said Bloom, who was at Folsom Field on Saturday working as the color man for the Pac-12 Network's first live broadcast of a CU event. "I don't remember a time when there has been more enthusiasm for the young players at Colorado, the true freshmen, the sophomores. ...

"I think the fans need to forget about the last four years and believe in the program. We're bringing talent to Boulder. Now that talent needs to grow."

Right now the Buffs are going through some extreme growing pains.

The perfect backup

The Buffs were still trailing by three points in the third quarter when Jordan Webb was sacked to set up a key third-and-18. CU's staring quarterback had to sit out for one play because his helmet came off.

Backup Connor Wood came in and completed a 28-yard screen pass to Gerald Thomas. The Buffs finished the drive with Christian Powell's third touchdown of the game to take a 28-24 lead with 6:27 remaining in the third quarter.

"I looked at the sticks and it was third-and-long," Wood said. "That's how it is and it was fun being out there and throwing a pass and almost getting a touchdown there."

It was Wood's only snap of the day. He finished with a quarterback rating of 335.2.

Embree will be taking a hard look at the quarterback position after Webb missed on some potential big plays and finished 12-for-24 with 160 yards and a touchdown.

O-line shuffle

Starting left guard Alex Lewis was shaken up and left the game in the second quarter, which tested CU's depth on the offensive line for the first time this season.

Starting right guard Daniel Munyer slid over to play Lewis' spot, starting right tackle Jack Harris moved to right guard and Ryan Dannewitz came in and played right tackle.

That group helped Powell punch in a 1-yard touchdown run that reclaimed the lead for the Buffs. Dannewitz was called for a personal foul on the play, but the Hornets didn't take advantage of the extra 15 yards in the ensuing kickoff.

Lewis returned to the game in the third quarter to help the Buffs finish with 153 yards rushing.

In the fourth quarter, starting center Gus Handler went down with an ankle injury. Munyer moved to center and Dannewitz returned at right tackle with Harris at right guard.

The Buffs had a chance to put the game away on their final drive, but Webb was sacked for a 10-yard loss and threw an incompletion on third-and-15. The offensive line gave up a total of three sacks after allowing CSU five sacks.

There were no repeats from the CSU game when David Bakhtiari (left tackle), Will Pericak (defensive tackle), Polk and Jordan Webb were the captains.

Back at Folsom

CU opened its 89th season at Folsom Field. The first opener at the venue, known as Colorado Stadium until 1944, was played in 1925.

The Buffs opened the 1924 season with one final game at Gamble Field before moving over to the new stadium.

CU is now 60-27-1 in home openers at Folsom Field. The Buffs also lost to Montana State from the Big Sky in the 2006 opener.

Quotable

"We need to come back next week and do the same thing in Northern Colorado because they're going to come out just as tough," Sacramento State defensive back Ryan McMahon said.

Notable

CU has 52 punt return yards through two games after having 56 yards in 13 games last season. ... This is the 20th time in 123 seasons of football that the Buffs are 0-2. ... The 30 points were the most scored by Sacramento State against an FBS team since scoring 43 against Pacific in 1993. ... Scouts from the Cincinnati Bengals, New Orleans Saints and St. Louis Rams watched the game from the Fred Casotti press box.

MacIntyre feels Colorado is capable of making run at bowl gameCU BUFFS FALL CAMPWhen: 29 practices beginning Wednesday morning 8:30-11 a.m. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday practices are open to the media and public next week. Full Story

It didn't take long for Denver music observers to notice Plume Varia. Husband and wife Shon and Cherie Cobbs formed the band only two years ago, but after about a year they started finding themselves on best-of lists and playing the scene's top venues. Full Story